It is common knowledge that the tomato originated in the New World and was brought to Europe by the early Spanish explorers.1 It is also common knowledge that for much of its early existence in Europe, the tomato was considered poisonous and was used only as an ornamental plant.2 What may not be as well known is how pervasive the tomato is in modern times in French cuisine.

The tomato, tomate in French, first came to Provence from Italy in the last half of the eighteenth century. It was a group of Provençales who introduced Paris to the tomato on July 14, 1790 as part of an early celebration of the new republic.3

Early cookbooks show tomatoes being cooked, primarily for sauces or stuffed with other ingredients.4 Soups and vegetable casseroles, gratins, make up the next most common uses of the tomato in French cooking. Today, tomatoes are often consumed raw in salads and other dishes.

Typical tomates en grappe at an outdoor market in the Loire Valley.

Although the tomatoes available in French markets can be divided into six general categories based on size and shape, my personal experience is that most of the tomatoes I’ve been exposed to are en grappe, tomatoes sold as a cluster, still attached by their stems to a small section of branch. With a size of about eight centimeters in diameter, they seem to be ideal for many dishes. Other categories of fresh tomatoes available include tomates côtelée (ribbed tomatoes), tomates ronde (round tomatoes), tomates cocktail (cocktail tomatoes, similar to tomates grappes except smaller), tomates cerise (cherry tomatoes), and tomates allongée (plum tomatoes).5 At the Château de la Bourdaisiere near Montlouis in the Loire Valley, they are attempting to gather as many of the world’s varieties of tomatoes as possible. So far the curators have collected over 500 different varieties that they plant each year in their garden.6

An early planting of some of the hundreds of varieties of tomatoes grown at the Château de la Bourdaisiere.

With a per capita consumption of 10 to 15 kilos per year, tomatoes are the number one fresh vegetable consumed in France.7 Maybe, that’s why tomatoes seem to have a ubiquitous presence in modern cookbooks and cooking magazines. It is difficult to find a magazine that doesn’t have at least one recipe using tomatoes, and many have a handful. The same is true with cookbooks. Unless the subject would explicitly exclude tomato products, such as a book on pâtisserie, it is hard to find a cookbook that doesn’t have at least one recipe featuring tomatoes and many have quite a few. There are even a few cookbooks that feature tomatoes in every recipe.

In selecting the tomato recipes that I would test for possible inclusion in this article, I strayed from my usual method. Normally, I would go through my entire library listing all the possible recipes and then select a “balanced” variety to test. For this article, I grabbed a couple of books off the shelf and just started selecting a recipe or two from each to try. There would have been too many recipes to select from if I went through all my resources.

The most common type of recipe I found were those for some form of a cooked tomato sauce. I decided to use an early one from the first half of the nineteenth century by Marie-Antoine Carême, sauce tomate, as representative of the whole group. Two other recipes create a sauce as part of their creation: moules au basilic et à la tomate and chipirons aux tomates. I’ve also included the ultimate, modern, all-purpose tomato sauce: ketchup maison. The next most common type of recipe seems to be those for stuffed tomatoes. An 1867 recipe, tomates farcies, for a tomato stuffed with mushrooms was chosen as representative of traditional recipes. Tomates farcies à la tomate and soufflé aux tomates et avocats are modern stuffed-tomato recipes, the latter being suitable as an entrée rather than as a side dish (garniture) like the former.

The other, modern ubiquitous tomato recipe seems to be for tomato tarts. An entire article could easily be written based on the various versions for tomato tarts I found. I settled on tarte à la tomate et moutarde because of its simple preparation and its ability to bring out the flavor of the tomatoes.

In addition to these new recipes, there are an additional 14 or so tomato recipes already listed in the recipe index of this site. Although together, these make a nice little selection of tomato recipes, it would be easy to pick a few hundred more.

1. Clean the squid: Pull the head from the hood and set aside. Squeeze the offal from the hood and discard. Remove and discard the quill. Peel the fine skin off the hood and discard. Rinse the hoods in cold water and cut crosswise into 3‑mm (1⁄8‑in) wide rings. Set aside. Cut each of the heads crosswise, just between the eyes and the tentacles. Discard all but the tentacles. Check the tentacles to make sure the beak is not still attached. Cut each set of tentacles into two halves.

2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for a while until the onion is soft, but not brown.

3. Add the tomatoes and stir. Season with piment, salt, and pepper. Add the squid pieces. As the mixture boils lower the heat. Stir occasionally. After 20 minutes, add the herbs and mix. Cook for another 10 minutes. If the sauce doesn’t appear to be thickening as the cooking time comes to an end, increase the heat slightly to cause more of the liquid to evaporate. Stir frequently.

2. Whisk all the ingredients, except the tomatoes, together. Set aside.

3. Arrange 7 tomatoes evenly around the edge of individual, 12‑cm (43⁄4‑in) diameter, quiche dishes. Place the tomatoes stem end down so they do not roll. Using a ladle, divide the custard between the dishes, pouring in the center of the dishes so it is not poured over the tomatoes. Place an eighth tomato in the center of each dish. Gently adjust the positions of the tomatoes so they are evenly spaced.

4. Bake the clafoutis for 25 to 30 minutes until the tops are firm and starting to brown.

5. Allow the clafoutis to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 servings.

Ref: adapted from a recipe found at http:⁄⁄www.arts‑culinaires.com⁄recettes⁄clafoutis_tomates_cerises.asp on 5 July 2004.

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, onions, and pepper. As the tomatoes give up some of their liquid and it starts to boil, lower the heat and cook the vegetables until quite soft, about 45 minutes.

2. Transfer the vegetables to a vegetable mill and puree them. Return the puree to a clean saucepan and add the remainder of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 45 minutes or so to thicken the mixture.

1. Melt 1 T butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add half the shallots and sweat briefly. Add the tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, and the thyme sprig. Season with coarse salt and a little black pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and paste‑like, about 15 minutes. When done, remove and discard the garlic and thyme, cover, and set aside.

2. When the sauce is almost done, melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sweat the remaining shallots briefly. Increase the heat to high. Add the wine, garlic, and a little black pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add the mussels, cover the pot, and cook the mussels until they open. Drain the mussels briefly and combine with the tomato sauce. Cook further over high heat for about 4 minutes or until the sauce is dry.

3. Divide the mussels between serving bowls. Sprinkle the basil and parsley over the mussels.

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the red pepper, onion, and garlic and cook until the onions soften. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Continue to cook until the tomatoes break down. Add the ham and season the mixture with the salt, pepper, and the piment. Remove and discard the garlic. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

2. Preheat a broiler.

3. Melt a 1⁄2 T of butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Beat 2 eggs with a fork and combine with half the tomato mixture. Add this mixture to the frying pan. Using the flat side of the fork, stir the eggs gently until the base is cooked. Level the top and place the pan under the broiler. Cook until the top starts to brown. Slide the cooked eggs onto a heated plate. Set aside and keep warm.

1. Season the chicken with some salt and pepper, the curry powder, cayenne pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

2. Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium‑high heat. Quickly fry the chicken until it is barely cooked. Chill in a refrigerator until cool.

3. Whisk the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil together with the lime juice and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. Arrange 12 tomato wedges on each serving plate in a circle. Arrange half the chicken pieces in the center of each tomato circle. Sprinkle half the red onions over each chicken portion. Spoon the sauce over each serving. Finally, sprinkle some cilantro on each portion.

Yield: 2 servings.

Ref: adapted from a recipe found at www.tomates‑de‑france.com on July 6, 2004.

1. Place the tomatoes along with the thyme, bay leaf, pepper, and ham in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the liquid expelled by the tomatoes starts to boil, reduce the heat, cover the saucepan, and cook the mixture until the tomatoes have completely broken down, about 20 minutes. Stir frequently.

2. Remove and discard the thyme, bay leaf, and ham. Force the sauce through a sieve into a clean saucepan. Add the glace and heat over low heat until the glace has melted and the mixture is hot.

3. Remove from the heat, mix in the butter, and season the sauce with salt.

Note: In his original recipe, Carême called for “a couple of large spoonful of espagnole sauce” to be added just before the mixture is strained.

1. Cut the top one‑third from the stem end of 2 tomatoes. Set the caps aside. Remove the cores, seeds, juice, and ribs from the tomatoes. Save the ribs, but discard the rest. Gently dry the insides of the tomatoes with a piece absorbent paper. Lightly sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Invert the tomatoes, on a rack, for at least 20 minutes.

2. Cut one of the tomato caps set aside in the previous step into a fine dice and set aside. Remove the flesh from the other cap. Core, peel, and seed an additional tomato. Puree the tomato flesh in a small food processor. If there isn’t sufficient pulp to fill each tomato shell at least halfway, add the flesh from an additional tomato to the processor and puree it, too. Strain the puree to remove any lingering seeds and bits of skin. Season the puree with salt and pepper.

3. Peel and seed the avocado. Cut a small wedge of the avocado into a fine dice. Add a few drops of lemon juice to the dice and set aside. Puree the remainder of the avocado by forcing it through a fine sieve. Season the puree with mustard, salt, and pepper.

4. Whisk 1 T of whipped cream into each of the purees.

5. Soften the gelatin in cold water. Place the stock in a small bowl and heat to boiling in a microwave. Squeeze the water from the gelatin. Dissolve the gelatin in the stock. Whisk half the gelatin mixture into each of the purees.

6. Again, gently dry the insides of the tomatoes with a piece of absorbent paper. Fasten a strip of parchment paper around each tomato shell that extends from the base to about a centimeter above the edge.

7. Gently insert a rubber spatula vertically into the center of one of the shells to act as a temporary dam. Spoon the avocado puree into one side until it is filled. Carefully remove the spatula and spoon tomato puree into the empty side to the same level as the avocado puree. Repeat the process with the other tomato shell. Place the shells in a refrigerator for a couple of hours until the purees have set.

8. To serve, place the tomatoes in the center of individual serving plates. Carefully remove the paper wrappers. Spoon some of the reserved, diced avocado and tomato over the tops of each portion. Sprinkle the chives over each portion.

Note: In the original recipe, additional plain tomato puree was mixed with chopped herbs and spooned onto the plates before the tomatoes were set in place.

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, leek, shallot, and garlic. Sweat without browning. Add the tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, tomato paste, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes.

2. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the saucepan. Puree the soup in a blender and strain through a fine strainer. Check for salt. Set the soup aside to cool.

3. Pound the basil leaves along with a little olive oil in a mortar.

4. Divide the cold soup between serving bowls. Place a spoonful of the pounded basil in the center of each bowl.

1. Place all the ingredients, except the salt and pepper, in the bowl of a food processor. Process to the desired degree of smoothness. Season with salt and pepper. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

2. To prepare the crust, place the butter, oil, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 100 g (3⁄4 c) of flour, remove the pan from the heat, and stir rapidly until the flour comes together and forms a ball. Continue to add flour, a spoonful at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the saucepan.

3. Using an 18‑cm (7‑in) tart pan with a removable bottom, press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Prick the bottom in many places with a fork. Bake the crust until it starts to color, about 12 minutes.

4. Upon removal from the oven, carefully remove the tart, along with the pan bottom, from the pan sides. Place it, with the bottom, on a separate baking sheet.

5. Brush the crust with a thin coating of mustard. Scatter the cheese evenly over the base. Arrange the tomato slices tightly in a single layer on top of the cheese. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Scatter the herbs over the top of the tart. Bake the tart until the tomatoes are soft and the cheese starts to bubble, about 18 minutes.

6. Allow the tart to cool slightly before serving, but if allowed to cool totally, the cheese will harden.

Note: This recipe can easily be scaled. For a 25‑cm (10‑in) tart pan, multiply the quantities listed above by two; for a 30‑cm (12‑in) pan, multiply by three.

1. Heat oil in wide saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onions until half soft. Season the onions with salt, pepper, and thyme. Continue cooking without browning until the onions are very soft. Set aside to cool.

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sweat the celery and onion for 4 or 5 minutes without coloring. Add the tomatoes, thyme, bay, salt, and both peppers. Lower heat and stew lightly for about 10 minutes.

2. In the meantime, put the stock and tapioca together in a small saucepan. Let the tapioca soak for 5 minutes. Bring the mixture to a strong boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover, and set aside so the mixture thickens.

3. When the tomatoes are cooked, add the tapioca mixture to the same saucepan with the tomatoes and gently mix. Check for salt.

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the mushrooms, parsley, and shallots. Stir continuously for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a separate bowl. Deglaze the saucepan with the glace. When syrupy, return the mushroom mixture back to the saucepan, mix, and season with the salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 215°C (420°F).

3. Cut the stem end from the tomatoes. With a small spoon, remove the core, seeds, juice, and ribs and discard. Cut a small amount from the closed end of the tomato so it will sit upright. Stuff the tomatoes with the mushroom mixture, finishing by rounding the top of the stuffing. Sprinkle the tops with a little bread crumbs.

4. Coat the base of an au gratin dish with a little oil. Place the tomatoes in the dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until warm in the center.

Note: Use an amount of parsley leaves that approximately matches the volume of the diced mushrooms.

2. Cut the top one‑third from the stem end of 4 tomatoes. Set the caps aside. Remove the cores, seeds, juice, and ribs from the tomatoes. Save the ribs, but discard the rest. Gently dry the insides of the tomatoes with a piece of absorbent paper. Lightly sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Invert the tomatoes on a rack for at least 20 minutes.

3. Peel, core, and seed the remaining 4 tomatoes. Heat 1⁄2 T oil in a small saucepan. Add the tomatoes along with the set‑aside ribs plus the garlic and the thyme sprigs. Place the saucepan in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until the tomatoes are quite soft.

4. In the meantime, heat 1⁄2 T oil in another small saucepan. Cook the onions over low heat until soft and sweet. Set aside.

5. When the tomatoes are soft, remove the garlic and thyme and discard. Drain the tomatoes in a fine strainer for at least 30 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F).

7. Combine the cooked tomatoes, onions, tomate séchée, cheese, parsley, and basil. Stuff the mixture into the tomato shells. Replace the caps on the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in an oiled baking dish. Place 1⁄4 t glace on each tomato next to the stem. Bake for about 25 minutes until heated through.

1. Combine the tomatoes and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. When the liquid from the tomatoes start to boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the pulp is soft and has given off much liquid.

2. Puree the mixture in a blender and strain through a fine strainer.

3. Soften the gelatin in cold water. Drain, add to the warm tomatoes, and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in the muscat. If the total quantity of liquid is less than 400 ml (12⁄3 c), add sufficient water to make up the difference.

4. Divide the puree among serving glasses. Refrigerate until gelled.

Note: The original of this recipe was entitled terrine de tomates au muscat de Baumes‑de‑Venise. It was prepared as a terrine and then when gelled, removed from the mold and cut with a knife for serving. The method described above eliminates the need to remove the finished dessert from the mold.